Author Archive: Melissa Kaplan

Wow, we’re a week into 2016 already! And while I have yet to have any exciting adventures in exotic locales this year, that should be changing soon. Stay tuned for more details shortly….

In the meantime, I thought I’d share some of my new year’s resolutions. “Travel” is pretty much always at the top of my resolution list, and this year is no exception. But rather than talk about the places I hope to go this year (I’ll get into that in another post soon), I wanted to talk about some of my broader, travel-related goals for 2016. Because much like life, travel is a process, and just as we’re always (hopefully) evolving as people, I believe we can and should evolve as travelers too. So here’s my list….

Melissa’s Travel Resolutions for 2016:

Stay Longer. In the past, I’ve been a lightning-quick traveler—a day trip here, a long weekend there. I haven’t ever really had the luxury of getting to do a months-long, backpacker style trip, and I’ve often felt overwhelmed by all I want to see in the world and figuring out how I’m going to fit in as much as possible into my travels. This is the year I want to slow down a bit, spend more time in the places I visit, and really get to absorb them. That means longer (and perhaps fewer) trips, but also basing myself in places where I can see a lot without having to go too far. A certain tiny country is calling my name this summer….

Be More Spontaneous. In the past, I’ve had trips planned out like military operations years before they happened. And that hasn’t really changed; I still know exactly what new cities and countries I want to hit well into 2017. Old habits die hard. However, within that broader plan, I want to leave room for more spontaneous getaways, and give myself the freedom and flexibility to seize travel opportunities that pop up unexpectedly. For example, the other night at dinner a friend casually mentioned she might be traveling to Costa Rica this year, and would I be interested in joining her? Um, absolutely! Was Costa Rica on my list for this year: no. But who could pass up a chance for a spontaneous getaway to a country I’ve longed to see for years? I just need to make sure I save up enough vacation days to make such spontaneity feasible….

Try new activities. Travel isn’t just an opportunity to see sights and eat way too much local food; it’s also a great chance to try something new that you might not get around to at home. For a while now, I’ve been wanting to learn to scuba dive and ski, and while I don’t know if my travel locales for 2016 will accommodate either of these goals, I do plan to do some more hiking, possibly kayaking, and any other new-to-me activities that strike my fancy while I’m on the road.

Get Back to Nature. Or in my case, get to nature, period, since I’ve never really spent much time there. I’ve always been a city traveler, hopping from Prague to London to Buenos Aires to Istanbul without bothering to explore the countryside very much. But lately, I’ve been drawn more to settings that let me reconnect with the natural world. I see lots of lakes, mountains, and waterfalls in my future.

See Friends and Family. When I chatted with my mom the other day about my upcoming travels, she immediately reminded me, “Don’t make any plans for Memorial Day weekend!” And indeed I won’t, because my plan for that weekend is to be with my family in Florida for as long as possible. The older I get, the more valuable family and friend time is to me. I want to not only visit my parents regularly, but also visit (and hopefully do some cool trips with) friends around the country I don’t get to see that often. Seeing new countries and exploring the planet is great, but sometimes, there truly is no place like home (or wherever the people most important to you live).

Explore More Locally. I’ve lived in Washington DC for well over a decade, and I’ve seen pretty much all the big ticket sights here many times. But I’m embarrassed to admit there are a number of places I should have visited long ago that are still on my list. Library of Congress? Never been. Botanical Gardens? Been meaning to go for ages. Not to mention the endless supply of restaurants, bars, shops and galleries the city offers. In between my journeys around the globe, I’m determined to take advantage of living in one of the coolest cities in America (for this politics and history nerd, anyway) and enjoy my time at home to the fullest. No more excuses!

Do you have any travel resolutions or goals for 2016?

Jan

2016

Why Travel is the Best New Year’s Resolution

2016 has arrived at last–and with it, for many of us, comes a whole lot of introspection and resolutions about how this year is going to be different from the last. All around the world today, people are shaking off their hangovers and making plans for things they want to accomplish/stop/change/improve in the next 366 days.

And you know, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. (I have my own list, written last night, scrawled in my notebook as I type this). No judgment on resolutions from me!

Over the years, like many people, I’ve had mixed results with New Year’s resolutions. Some I’ve kept (going to the gym more regularly; yay!), some have fallen by the wayside. But there’s one resolution that always tops my list, and that I never fail to make a reality: I will travel somewhere new this year.

The simple truth I’ve discovered is that travel is the best new year’s resolution you can make. Why is that? Well, several reasons:

It’s achievable. One big benefit of resolutions is that they give us something to strive for; who doesn’t love having a goal to pursue? But it helps if that goal is at least somewhat attainable. You may not read 100 new books this year or become fluent in Swahili or get to the gym every day, but you can almost certainly squeeze in a weekend away at some point in the next 12 months. And in that case, you’ve met your goal and fulfilled your resolution! (Which is not to say you shouldn’t even aim higher, but it’s a start!)

It’s positive. So many resolutions and goals we set for ourselves at the beginning of the year may be well-intentioned, but they’re also kind of depressing. Lose 20 pounds; stop drinking so much; save more money. Now, all these things are probably good ideas, but the getting there isn’t likely to be too enjoyable. We’re focusing on parts of our life that we don’t like and want to change, and necessary that may be, but it’s kind of hard to get excited about it. Travel, on the other hand, is a completely positive resolution: I want to see more of the world; I want to explore; I want to challenge myself to gain a new perspective. It will benefit you enormously, and not in an “eat your vegetables” kind of way.

It’s often necessary. I know so many people who say they want to travel, but don’t make it a priority. Well, friends, here’s your chance! It’s a new year, you’re figuring out what you want to prioritize in your life for the next 12 months. Why not put “travel more” right at the top of the list? If you do, you’ll be more motivated to make it actually happen, and that’s important. Like anything else in life worth having, travel isn’t going to fall into your lap by sheer luck and happenstance. No one is going to walk up to you in the street and offer you a free cruise to Mexico or plan your summer trip to Europe for you. You have to do it yourself, and that takes some work and planning (though perhaps not as much as you might think). So make a resolution to keep travel as a high priority for yourself next year, and then take steps to make it happen. The new year could be just the kick you need to turn your travel dreams into reality!

It’s fun! The best reason of all to resolve to travel more: it’s fun! Chances are, if you are interested enough in travel to read blogs about it, then it’s something you really want to do. Wouldn’t it be nice to achieve a goal that’s enjoyable from start to finish, and not just looking back on it after it’s accomplished?

Bottom line, life is short. Chances to travel can be fleeting. So if travel is what you want, make your resolution and don’t let anything stand in your way. Go out and explore Europe, Africa, Central America, Southeast Asia, or a city near your home….whatever’s calling to you.

Make 2016 your Year of Travel!

Is travel one of your New Year’s resolutions (if you make them?) Any exciting travel plans/goals for the year ahead?

Jan

2016

My Top Ten Travel Moments of 2015

Melissa Kaplan2

It’s that time of year again! The holidays are flying by, the new year is fast approaching, and “Best of” lists are everywhere.

2015 was a good year for me in terms of travel. I visited two new countries (Thailand and Iceland), as well as a new US city, Seattle. I also got to do some work-related traveling (more to come next year, hopefully!), and spent time with friends and family scattered across the country. I have even bigger plans for next year, but that’s a story for a different blog post (coming soon!)

In the meantime, let me present my “Top Ten Travel Moments of 2015”, in no special order:

Temple Hopping and Massages in Bangkok: This year I made my first-ever visit to Southeast Asia, which means, of course, temples! I was very excited to see Bangkok’s Grand Palace and other historical spots, but when the day finally came, we had masses of tourists and 102 degree weather to contend with. I don’t think I’ve ever drunk so much water in one morning in my life! But there was a saving grace: at Wat Pho, the temples included a massage pavilion, where my friend and I (gratefully) sat down in the cool room and paid about $9 for an excellent foot massage. As magnficent as the temples were, I’d be lying if I said this wasn’t the highlight of the day.

Pike Place Market in Seattle: Oh, how I love markets! I’d been hearing about Pike Place for years, and when I got there in May, it didn’t disappoint. We whiled away several hours looking at the food and flower stalls and trying all the samples of hot cider and cheese that we could squeeze in…and I was happily surprised when the cheese-and-fruit plate I purchased on my plane ride home included the exact same sharp cheddar from the store I’d discovered in my wanderings that day. Delicious!

Gulfoss Waterfall in Iceland: I love waterfalls even more than markets (well, it may depend on how hungry I am at the time), and Gulfoss is without question the most spectacular waterfall I’ve ever experienced. A must-see site if you make it to Iceland (which you absolutely should).

Lunch view in Phuket: I’ve written here about my splurge spa day on the Andaman Coast in Thailand, but honestly, as amazing as the massage and facial treatments were, the view at lunch (and the chance to enjoy it in solitude before other diners showed up) was one of the best moments of my Thailand trip, and of my entire year. I mean, just look at it! Serenity now….

Oddfellows Brunch in Seattle: I enjoyed my trip to Seattle more as a chance to relax, unwind, and experience the vibe of the city rather than a frantic attempt to sightsee. So it probably shouldn’t be surprising that one of my fondest memories of my trip is….brunch! Brunch at Oddfellow’s Café was pretty spectacular…my bacon, egg and cheese biscuit was the best I’ve ever had, the drinks were interesting concoctions, and they even tossed in organic greens to make me feel a bit better about my food choices that day. Winning all around.

The Blue Lagoon, Iceland: Everything you hear about the Blue Lagoon is true. It may be touristy, and it can get crowded (go early in the morning like I did to avoid this), but it is a truly magical place to soak, unwind, and be in the moment. Next time I return to Iceland, it’s the first place I’ll go back to: a once-in-a-lifetime type experience that I can’t wait to repeat.

New York City restaurants: I started a new job this year that has me traveling to New York fairly often. I’ve never been a fan of the city (and full disclosure, that hasn’t changed yet), but I am willing to acknowledge it has some of the best restaurants in the world…I really haven’t had a bad meal there yet. Some of my favorites are an outstanding Thai place a friend took me too, whose name I’ve sadly forgotten, and the legendary Blue Smoke, a Southern/BBQ style restaurant I’ve visited twice and loved both times. Yum!

Reykjavik: I fell in love with this fun, compact, walkable city this year. Reykjavik rocks, plain and simple. Great food, wonderful cafes, fantastic shopping, easy to navigate, and the architecture and vibe call to mind Central European cities where I spent a lot of time when I lived in Europe years ago. I can’t wait to go back.

Cape Cod Beach Time: My aunt and uncle live in Cape Cod, and as a kid my family would go there every summer and every Thanksgiving to visit, so I have lots of wonderful childhood memories playing on the local beach near their home. This year I went back for Thanksgiving for the first time in years, and it was wonderful: seeing family and spending time on the beach again. As much as I love summer, cool falls days filled with sunshine are a great time to visit New England beaches, and the day we went the weather was absolutely perfect; the sky and ocean were the bluest I’ve ever seen them. Traveling to far-flung places is wonderful, but sometimes it’s equally delightful and satisfying to revisit your roots.

Great Falls, Virginia: I figured I’d end this list with something a little closer to home. This fall, I decided to take up hiking as a hobby, and jumped at the chance to join in on a group trek to Great Falls in Virginia. During the two hour hike, I scrambled over rocks, walked through peaceful green forests, took more photos than I can count—and oh yes, saw a spectacular waterfall. You don’t have to travel halfway around the globe for adventure (though naturally, I won’t let that fact stop me from continuing to do so).

Here’s to another great year of travel, discovery, and adventures in 2016!

Have you been to any of these places? What did you think? What were some of your best 2015 travel moments?

Asia, Iceland, Thailand, Travel Musings, US travel

Dec

The Things I Miss Most About London

Last week, I was partaking in one of my annual holiday traditions: watching Love, Actually while drinking hot chocolate and writing Christmas cards. This movie is one of my favorite holiday-themed films (don’t judge, haters), and it never fails to get me in the yuletide spirit.

But more than that, watching Love, Actually again made me nostalgic for London, a city I was lucky enough to call home for a year that was probably the best one of my life. London is the setting for (and plays almost the role of a character in) the movie, and looking at the famous landmark sights, the streets decked out for Christmas, and the double-decker red buses made me reflect on how much London means to me, and what I miss about living there.

So here goes: My list of “Top Things I Miss About London”:

Pubs and pub quizzes. I love pubs in London far more than bars in America—they’re so warm, welcoming, friendly and, in many cases, classy. I miss being able to walk in and order a Pimms and a cottage pie with chips and gravy (this combo needs to catch on in America, fast). And I used to have a ritual of participating in a Monday night pub quiz with my cousin and her friends at a pub near Piccadilly Circus…we never won, but the attempt was always a blast!

Bookstores. London is chock-full of bookstores, both chains and unique historical outlets, but my absolute favorite is Stanford’s, the travel bookstore. That’s right: an entire bookstore devoted to travel! Not only does it contain every guidebook you could ever want, but it’s also filled with maps, globes, and travel literature, both fiction and non-fiction. I was a regular customer at Stanford’s when I lived in London, and God, do I miss it. Nothing in the US can compare.

Museums. Sure, I live in Washington DC now, one of the world’s foremost museum cities, so I’m hardly deprived in this regard, and I do love DC’s museums. But that doesn’t prevent me from occasionally getting nostalgic for all those London has to offer. How amazing would it be to be able to pop round to the British Museum right now and take in millennia’s worth of history for free? Romans, Greeks, Egyptians, take your pick; it’s all there. And I miss the National Gallery too; there’s nothing like spending an afternoon surrounded by famous artwork only to step out of the museum doors onto Trafalgar Square in the heart of one of the world’s most energetic and exciting cities.

Curry. Damn, how I miss curry. Yes, we have a good Indian restaurant up the street from my house, but that’s a world away from being able to take the tube to Brick Lane and wander up and down the street full of curry vendors all competing for your business, and knowing that pretty much anywhere you choose to eat will be superb. Plus, I miss being able to order curry at my house for dinner. I don’t believe I ordered a pizza in the entire year I lived in England, but I ordered curry all the time with my roommates to devour while watching Britain’s Next Top Model. Oh, I miss that too.

Public Transport. And speaking of the tube…I miss being able to arrive on a subway platform and know that a train will be arriving in no less than four minutes. I don’t think I ever waited longer than that at my stop on the Piccadilly line, whereas coming home from a night out the other day in DC, I arrived at the station only to find the next train wasn’t due for 20 minutes. On a Friday night. God, I miss London efficiency. And those bright red double-decker buses too—I didn’t ride them that often but I loved it when I got a chance to, especially sitting on the top level and watching all of the city unfold at my feet below.

Londoners. This may seem like a bit of an odd choice, as London isn’t necessarily known as a warm and fuzzy city on par with some others. But personally, I loved London and the people who live there. They’re friendly, but not pushy. They’re polite and patient (no shoving to get onto the tube, even at rush hour), and they respect personal space, both physical and mental. I love being among people who can be friendly and kind without feeling the need to chat up every stranger with incessant small talk for no particular reason. That probably says more about me than it does about London, but honestly, in that way, I felt like London and I understood one another very well. Living in the city felt like coming home, and visiting there still does.

Here’s to a return trip in 2016!

Have you spent time in London? Do you love it too? What do you miss the most from the city?

London

Dec

The Importance of Travel Dreams

A few months ago, I almost booked a trip to an exotic new-to-me country. It was a whimsical idea, born largely of romantic impulse. I hadn’t had this particular country on my radar until recently, and it doesn’t appear on my bucket list. Still, it had suddenly captivated me, and I thought it would be worth checking out.

At the last minute, however, I decided against it. Or rather, I decided to delay. The complexities involved in traveling at that particular moment were too overwhelming to make the trip worth it; the timing was off.

Although I was disappointed at not getting to take a new country by storm, one thing consoled me: I now had it to look forward to in the future. (Hopefully within the next year or so, if all goes according to plan).

What’s the point of this near-miss travel adventure story? It got me thinking that, as much as I love traveling, it sometimes feels like I enjoy the anticipation even more. I love discovering new cities and countries, making real to myself places that before I visited were only photos on Instagram and lines on a map.

But at the same time, I can’t help but notice that, after I’ve been there, these places lose a bit of luster in my memory. I often look back fondly (“What a great city that is”), or even in rapture (“That trip was AMAZING! Most beautiful beach in the world!”). But a country or locale never quite has the magical hold of the unknown again. You can’t un-experience a place you’ve been to; it will always be part of your past now, rather than your future.

The Bucket List Trap

In a way, I think this phenomenon ties into the whole issue of bucket lists.

For years, I felt a nearly frantic need to check off certain places from my personal must-see list, to the point where I felt I couldn’t tackle other major life milestones until I’d visited them. The world beckoned to me, it called me from long distances and seduced me with the allure of the new and the unfamiliar. I HAD to get out and explore all of it before I settled into “adult” life. Otherwise, I’d be selling my dreams short.

As the years passed, however, I realized something both wonderful and disconcerting: my bucket list was only getting longer and my desire to see the world more intense as I grew older. For every city or country I checked off after years of anticipation, three more popped up to take its place. Travel, and planning my life as a traveler, began to take on an almost desperate quality. I cannot rest until I’ve seen this place. I must scratch this amazing site off my list before I can move forward. I must chase this rainbow before I settle into official, duty-bound adulthood.

I began to be afraid that I’d never be able to see all the things I wanted to in my lifetime, and that this would lead to one of two outcomes: 1) I’d have to pull the plug on travel before I was ready in order to “settle down,” and always feel resentful of it; or, 2) I’d never manage to settle down at all, because there was always some new destination calling to me. I’d spend my life chasing those rainbows, and never accomplishing any other dreams for myself.

I’m not sure which possibility scared me more.

I have friends who never travel at all. I have other friends who travel occasionally, or whose bucket lists only contain one or two places. In a weird way, I almost envy these people at times. Travel is one of the most amazing, rewarding experiences a person can have in this world; I believe this with every ounce of my being, and that’s what drives me to keep on exploring. But sometimes I can’t help but think how much easier my life would be if I wasn’t always putting off other things I want into the future so that I can travel somewhere today, or tomorrow, or in the next five years. Wouldn’t that life be simpler? In the end, might such an attitude enable me to accomplish more non-travel-related goals and dreams?

The Value in Postponing Adventure

But as I’ve thought all this over more and more lately, I’ve realized a few things. For one, while I firmly believe in seizing travel opportunities and being proactive about seeing the world because it’s not going to come to you, I’ve also begun to understand that, in the wise words of my dad, the world isn’t going anywhere. India will still be there to dive into, whether I do it next year by myself, in a decade with young children in tow, or in thirty years as a retiree. I don’t have to see my life as such a frantic rush to the travel finish line, because there is no finish line until the very end. And with some effort and ingenuity, I can still see a lot of the world before then.

And I’ve realized something else; sometimes, as cliché as it seems, anticipation really is half the fun. As much as I love making my travel dreams come true, I need some of them to stay dreams—at least for now. Part of what makes travel magical is imagining how incredible it will be when you discover your next rainbow–whether it’s lighting up the sky over a waterfall in Iceland, or the Scottish Highlands, or the mountains of Machu Picchu.

I can’t live without travel, but I also can’t live without travel dreams: the anticipation of what that far-flung destination you’ll make it to “someday” will bring. I need to keep some of my dreams safely in the future, where I can unfold them when the time is right.

Someday–perhaps in just a few months–I’ll make it to the country I almost flew to this summer. In the meantime, I’ll keep dreaming, planning, and anticipating. And I’ll be happy that I still have one more dream destination awaiting its turn to be discovered.

Dec

What’s My Favorite Country?

This is a question travelers, and travel bloggers, get asked a lot. It’s deceptively simple but wow, it is really hard to answer!

I’ve traveled to nearly thirty countries on five continents (I’ll make it to you soon Australia, I swear), and there has pretty much been nowhere I’ve visited so far that I didn’t enjoy. And there have been many countries I’d go so far as to say I love.

I love England, because it’s where my mom is from, much of my family lives there, it’s steeped in centuries of history, and London is one of the coolest cities in the world.

I love Italy because it’s full of art, pizza, gelato, and breathtakingly beautiful seaside towns.

I love Thailand for its beaches, its inexpensive massages and pampering, and its glorious seascape panoramas.

I love South Africa for having pretty much everything you could want in a destination—fascinating history, good restaurants, wine country, beaches, and one of my favorite cities in Cape Town.

I love Iceland for its rugged nature and isolation. And waterfalls.

I love Greece for its historical importance, delicious food, and blue-and-white island skylines.

Really, I could go on and on. I love just about everywhere.

But what is my absolute favorite country so far, if I had to choose just one?

I’ve thought about it and decided on my answer: France.

Why France?

Well, lots of reasons! Here is just a sampling:

Cultural treasures: France, particularly Paris, is like heaven for museum lovers. The Louvre and the Musee D’Orsay in one city? Yes, I’m on board with that.

Incredible food: You will never eat better than you will in Paris…or just about anywhere else in the country. Pain au chocolat for breakfast, crusty bread and cheese and fruit from a market for lunch, steak frites for dinner, and in between enough decadent pastries to keep you satisfied and fueled up all day long.

Café Life: The French get the importance of café life…they pretty much invented the concept, as far as I can tell, or at the very least perfected it. Sit me down in a quaint Parisian watering hole in which Hemingway and Fitzgerald used to while away hours eating, drinking, and writing their stories, and I am as happy as a person can be on this planet.

Diverse landscapes: I’ve been to France four times (once as a kid, but I’ll still count it) and three of those trips focused on Paris, so I feel I have a pretty good feel for the city at this point. However, there is so much more to France than its capital city. That’s part of what I love about France, in fact—it’s a place I know well enough to feel familiar and comfortable in, but I also know there is still so much more for me to explore…a perfect combination. Next time I return I want to spend time in Provence with its rolling fields of lavender; Marseilles and Lyon for city life and amazing food; Normandy and Brittany for history and the seaside; and the Loire Valley for castles and wine. Just for starters. France will never bore me, and it rewards multiple trips to explore all of its magical corners.

The Language: Here’s the kicker and probably what tipped France over from “I love it” to “favorite country” status: I can actually speak French! Not very well, but I took years of it in high school and college and when I spend time in France I’m surprised by how much of it comes back with relative ease. I can actually carry on conversations in something other than English, and while it’s obvious to anyone who listens to me that I’m far from a native speaker, I still love to be able to communicate in the language of the country I’m traveling in. I hate having to rely on the hope that people in the place I choose to visit will speak English; I want to blend in and become part of the daily life of a country as best I can, so for me, France is the ideal place to do that. One of my favorite memories of my time in Paris is sitting down in a luxurious historic café with a French newspaper and a chocolat chaud and pastry, and being able to get at least the gist of the news from it. It made me feel, in some small way, that I was more than a tourist passing through: that this was a place where I could soak up the culture, and perhaps feel, for a few minutes at least, as if I belonged here.

What’s your favorite country, and why? Do you love France as well?

France, Travel Musings

Just Do It (or Why I Hate Travel Dreams)

OK, so the second part of that title is a lie. I don’t hate travel dreams, at all. I’m full of them.

From riding the Trans-Siberian Railroad across Russia to snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef in Australia to skiing in New Zealand to wine tasting in Chile, you’d be hard-pressed to find a person with more travel dreams than me.

However, “travel dreams” doesn’t mean the same thing to all people. As far as I’m concerned, they come in two varieties:

Person 1: “I really want to visit Bali and learn to scuba dive. I’ve been putting away money for the trip for the past six months and this week I started checking out airfares, and I just bought a guidebook and am researching Bali on Pinterest every day. I can’t wait to go!” (Ed. Note: not that I really know what Pinterest is, but it seems to be a big travel deal).

Person 2: “Oh, I’d love to go to Greece. I’ve heard it’s so beautiful. But you know, it’s a really long flight, and probably pretty expensive to travel there. I’m not sure when I could get time off for a big trip like that. Sigh…maybe someday.”

See the difference?

Dreams can mean a lot of different things. They can be sheer fantasy, as they sadly remain for far too many of us. Or they can be less dreams and more goals: things we’re motivated to work towards because we know they are achievable, step by step, and that the work we put into making them happen will be well worth it. We apply this logic to our careers, our personal lives, our long-term plans (hopefully), so why can’t we do the same for our travel dreams?

The answer is: we can! And we should.

So rather than prattle on about how we all need to get off our butts and get proactive, I thought I’d offer a few examples of how we can make our travel dreams happen, one little step at a time.

(I’ve already written more extensively about trip-planning how-to’s HERE.)

Five Things You Can Do Today (or soon) To Make Your Travel Dreams Into Reality

Buy a Guidebook. One of my favorite things to do in the world is to walk into a bookstore travel section and just wander around, entranced by all the beautiful places and potential adventures in exotic locations around the globe. Take an hour or so this weekend to visit your neighborhood bookshop (or go on Amazon if you’re really time crunched, but bookstores work better), and take a look at all the guidebooks on display for different cities, countries, and regions, then buy one to read up at home. Spain? Thailand? South America? You may already have a dream destination picked out, or an afternoon of browsing could turn you on to a destination you never even considered and get you excited to begin the planning process for your next trip. I may be hopelessly old-school, but even in today’s online world, I find guidebooks the best way both to incite wanderlust and give a real, practical handle on where you’ll be traveling, what to see/do/eat there, and how to make your dream trip into a reality. Shop away!

Sign Up for Travel Deal Emails. There are any number of email lists you can quickly sign yourself up for that will deliver travel deals to you inbox every week or so. Some of these can contain pretty great deals, so it pays to be a bit flexible and spontaneous in your travel plans, but some offers are good for a few months so when you see a deal you like, you can snap it up now and travel later. Hopefully seeing a fantastic deal to a dreamy destination will help kick your serious travel planning phase into gear! I recommend signing up for Travelzoo and Sherman’s Travels weekly e-newsletters for some excellent travel deals and inspiration.

Start putting aside money each month/paycheck. Ah, the really fun stuff…but this is how you can start, dollar by dollar, to commit to making your dreams of travel a reality. Every month or paycheck, figure out how much you can afford to put aside into a travel fund, then commit to doing so. Even small contributions can add up quickly: $20 a paycheck times 25 paychecks a year = $500. Of course, the more you can sock away, the quicker you can finance your dream trip, but if you have to start small, it will still build momentum and help keep your goals on track!

Download Skyscanner. The Skyscanner app is not just my new favorite app but one of my new favorite things, period. It’s an amazing tool for travelers and those planning future trips, which allows you to type in where you want to go, where you’ll be flying out of, and see what months/days offer the best deals for that route (you can also search specific dates, but being flexible can often pay off). Or even more magically, you can simply type in your location, enter “everywhere” as your search, and see how far you can travel for how much money. This app is free, so if you have a smartphone, go ahead and download it today and begin playing and dreaming!

Immerse Yourself in Your Chosen Culture. This last is a fun one: start immersing yourself in the place you want to go, in any way you like. Have dinner at a Thai restaurant; stream a Bollywood film on Netflix; check out an exhibit of Asian art at a nearby museum; start reading that Russian novel you always meant to get around to. Do anything that will help you get a sense of the place you’ll be visiting and what you want to see, do, eat, and experience there, and get excited about the adventure!

Anything to add to this list? How do you begin the travel planning process? What is your dream destination that you’re determined to make a reality?

Why I Love the World

I had a very different blog post planned to write today, but it will have to wait. In light of the horrific terror attacks this weekend in Paris and Beirut, I can’t seem to focus my mind on much else. I suspect many people feel the same way.

On Friday night, I was out with some friends for the evening as the word began to trickle in about the Paris shootings, and the scope and horror became increasingly clear. One of my friends, shaking her head over the awful news, commented that hearing about events like this makes her want to turn on her favorite fictional TV show and forget all about the world.

I understand this sentiment; I really do. But I can’t agree with it.

Because the truth is, no matter how many horrible tragedies may mar its beauty, I still love the world.

Ever since I was a child, I’ve been fascinated by events around the globe. I was a news junkie even as a little kid growing up at the tail end of the Cold War, watching the news with my parents in the evenings. I may have had a limited understanding of the things I saw and heard, but I was developing a sense from a very early age that this big, mysterious place—The World—was important. What happened out there mattered.

I went to college to study political science, moved overseas twice, got a graduate degree in international relations, and have traveled to almost thirty countries, all for the same reason: because I love the world. Even when it horrifies me. I can’t stop caring about it, about what happens on our planet and to the people who live here. I can’t stop myself from exploring it and always wanting to learn more.

The world can be ugly and frightening, but it’s so much more than that. It contains so much beauty and wonder that it would be a tragedy to stay home, hide under the covers, and miss out on experiencing it.

The world is the magical allure of Paris, the Eiffel Tower reaching to the sky, its broad boulevards and museums cafes and patisseries inviting weary travelers to come in a while away an hour, or two or three.

It’s the spectacular art in the Sistine Chapel in Rome, and the glorious seaside town of Positano looming in the hills over the Amalfi Coast.

It’s London’s red double decker buses and endless rainy drizzle and how it feels to duck in a warm pub or café or bookstore to escape the grey day, surrounded by camaraderie and friends.

It’s the view from a table on the beach in Tel Aviv, Israel, eating falafel and hummus before heading to the Dead Sea to float for an afternoon.

It’s the windmills and whitewashed houses and impossibly blue waters of the Greek Islands.

It’s the magnificent gold-pattered Aya Sofia in Istanbul.

It’s tapas and sangria in Barcelona.

It’s drinking wine looking out over a sweeping green vineyard in Stellenbosch, South Africa.

It’s the thundering of Gullfoss waterfall in Iceland, pierced by a double rainbow.

It’s all of these places, and it’s the people who live in them too. It’s the strangers who gave me directions when I was lost in foreign countries, who open their homes to travelers passing through, who share a meal or a kind word with people they barely know. It’s billions of people we haven’t met yet, just trying to live their lives and in the process, making our planet a slightly better place.

It’s easy to despair about the world, especially in times like this. The world isn’t an easy place to live in. It never has been. But I refuse to give up hope.

I’ll keep traveling, keep exploring, keep trying to learn as much as I can about the people and cultures and countries of the globe. And no matter what may happen in the future, I won’t turn my back on them or let fear keep me away.

Because no matter what, even on its worst days, I still love the world.

France, Iceland, London, South Africa, Spain, Travel Musings

Cape Town Highs

Melissa Kaplan1

South Africa was one of my favorite trips ever, but for some reason it’s taken me until now to blog about it. Why? I’m not really sure. Maybe it’s because I traveled there nearly two years ago (eek, has it really been that long?) and it can be difficult to write about a place I experienced longer ago than a few weeks or months. The memories start to fade, even though my copious Iphone photos have done much to keep them alive.

But that’s really no excuse. I loved Cape Town, and my trip to South Africa was all-around amazing, so it’s about time to write about it, wouldn’t you say?

I’ll do some more in-depth posts on my visit to South Africa soon, but in the meantime I thought it would be fun to reminisce about a few of the highlights of my all-too-brief stay.

My Cape Town Highs (in no particular order):

Table Mountain—On my first day in Cape Town, I arrived at Table Mountain in the morning excited to take the cable car to the top and soak in amazing city views. Unfortunately, the wind at the top of the mountain was too strong that day, causing the car to be shut down. D’oh! I returned on my last day in the city and luckily, the weather was perfect, so I squeezed into the crowded car after a lengthy wait and rose quickly up the mountain, taking in magnificent unfolding vistas of sea and city below until the misty fog cut them off. Still, somehow this only made the summit more magical, and I wandered around taking in every inch of it (and yes, taking a selfie) before riding back down. I’d love to go up again on a clear day, but even in the fog, riding to the top of the mountain that dominates Cape Town’s horizon was still a magical end to my trip.

Beach Time—Oh yes, Cape Town has beaches—amazing ones. It’s pretty special to get to sprawl out on a white sand beach with a drink and an umbrella, listening to the waves crash on the shore, and then look up to see a mountain with a cloud cover looming over you. Even though the water was too cold to swim, Clifton Beach in Cape Town was one of the most beautiful I’ve ever been to and the time I spent there was one of the highlights of my trip.

Wine Country—While I’m not a huge wine drinker, I have come to love wine tasting, and the whole ritual that accompanies it (especially when there’s also cheese and/or lunch involved!) I tore myself away from the city for a day trip out to Stellenbosch and some of the other wine-producing towns in the nearby countryside, and I had an incredible day sipping wine, eating a lunch of South African bobotie (a sort of meat pie with a custard top—pretty good in fact), looking out on astounding views of rolling hills and green vineyards, and chatting with an enormous group of university friends who were backpacking through Africa together (seriously, why did no one tell me I could do things like that when I was in college?!?) If you make it to Cape Town, I cannot recommend a trip to wine country strongly enough.

Robben Island—I’ve always been a history buff, and I’m old enough to remember the days before apartheid ended in South Africa in the 1990s. I still recall the news stories when Nelson Mandela was released from prison in 1990 after twenty-seven years, and how strange it seemed to see the young firebrand in the photos the newscasters had been displaying emerge from prison as a white-haired old man. Of course when I planned my trip, a visit to Robben Island, where Mandela was imprisoned for many of those years, was an essential stop for me, and it didn’t disappoint. Seeing the very cell Mandela had occupied was extraordinarily moving, but honestly, the fact that our tour guide was himself a former prisoner who spoke to us about his own experiences in jail was even more powerful. As it happened, I traveled to South Africa about a month after Mandela’s death, so the whole country was still gripped by a strange combination of mourning this great man’s passing and reveling in celebrating his life. I’m so glad I took the time to experience this piece of South African history.

Affordable Luxury—I LOVE to pamper myself. No shame from this girl on that score. And one of my favorite things to do when I travel is indulge in a little extra luxury, of all kinds, because hey, I’m on vacation! Not to mention the fact that it’s often cheaper to treat yo’self in foreign countries than it is back home. South Africa provided plenty of affordable luxury, from the excellent steak dinners with dessert I enjoyed at my lovely hotel for about $20 to the spa-and-lunch package (with a magnificent city view from my table) that I booked on my final day in town for $50. It was the perfect end to my time in Cape Town, and helped make the prospect of the twenty-hour flight ahead of me slightly less daunting.

I could go on and on, because really there was pretty much nothing I didn’t love about my week in Cape Town. I can’t wait to return and spend more time in the city, as well as seeing Johannesburg, the Cape of Good Hope, and maybe even ride the luxurious Blue Train! One day….

Have you been to Cape Town? Do you want to visit South Africa? Any suggestions for other places to see when I return?

South Africa